Risa Fukui Interview with Wakana Kawahito
Risa Fukui is one of the up-and-coming Kirie artists who creates a picture by cutting lines to make new space in a piece of paper. Kirie is a traditional Japanese craft technique, making a picture by cutting both white and black paper and putting color paper between space.
KI RI GA is a name of Risa's first book launching this November.
Q:I heard you learned Kirie when you joined a Kirie club at your junior high school but you stopped doing kirie after that. Why did you restart creating Kirie when you were in art school?
A:I had majored in Graphic Design at Tama Art University. At that time, graphic design was more analog; for example, using color papers to think of pattern, dividing a face to make a construction of color and drawing a line by hand. Paper was a comfortable material for me. In my sophomore year, I had homework in class to create works by any kind of technique I wanted. At that time, using paper reminded me I was good at making Kirie. A lot of my classmates were superior to me in terms of drawing and painting watercolors, and I was trying to find my own style. Then, I tried Kirie and it was really fun and worked out. I have been making Kirie since then.
Q:How long does it take time to create a work?
A:For example, I am making one A3 and one A4 white and black works per week for weekly magazine. It is actually hard. If it is necessary to put colors, it will take more. I usually need two or three weeks to create a piece of work.
Q:What kind of Kirie are you looking for?
A:I am interested in bringing active element and movement within flat and silence space of Kirie. It is essential to cut a line for Kirie. I think that my originality is in organic and vivid lines. It is most important that my work be is full of strength and vitality.
Q:What inspires you?
A:I am interested in something alive such as plants and animals, and things that move like smoke. Additionally, my imagination is ignited by invisible things. For example, music from the drums.
